Swys de Bruin, the head coach of South Africa’s women’s rugby team, resigned on the eve of a Test match against New Zealand’s Black Ferns. South African Rugby confirmed his departure on September 3, Daily Maverick reports.
Assistant coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September will lead the team in the match on September 5 at FNB Stadium near Soweto. South African Rugby declined to comment further on de Bruin’s resignation.
Possible reason for resignation
According to Rapport, de Bruin’s resignation was preceded by a dispute with the South African rugby union over victory bonuses during tours to Fiji and Kenya. Rapport claims that the coach believed he was entitled to these payments despite not being present on those trips.
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De Bruin also did not travel with the team this week and was absent from training on Tuesday. Johannes-Haupt and September had already served as head coaches during the tours of Kenya and Fiji. At the same time, a working and focused atmosphere remains in the team camp, according to Daily Maverick.
Match against New Zealand
The game will be the Black Ferns’ first-ever Test match in South Africa and will precede the match between the men’s national teams of South Africa and New Zealand in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. For the South African women’s team, it will be an important test after reaching the playoffs of the 2025 World Cup in England for the first time in its history.
In the quarterfinal of that tournament, South Africa lost to New Zealand 17–46, although the score was level at 10–10 after the first half. The squad for the upcoming match includes eight players who faced the Black Ferns nearly a year ago. Hooker Lindelwa Gwala said the team is working to reduce ball-handling errors that occurred, including in the match against Fiji. Daily Maverick also notes that errors and infringements hindered the team in its series of matches against the United States and Fiji.
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